Trina Bresser Matoushttps://www.trinabressermatous.com Thu, 02 May 2019 19:24:18 +0000en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.174434832Flaws: God Makes Things All Amazingly Newhttps://www.trinabressermatous.com/flaws/ https://www.trinabressermatous.com/flaws/#respondFri, 03 May 2019 12:00:30 +0000https://www.trinabressermatous.com/?p=1896The highest-priced pieces of carved jade are those made out of solid colored stones without flaws. Going against the conventional selection process, an unknown artist selected a piece of multicolor jade containing cracks and color blotches to carve an exquisite piece now known as the Jadeite Cabbage. The artist used the cracks as veins in […]

]]>The highest-priced pieces of carved jade are those made out of solid colored stones without flaws. Going against the conventional selection process, an unknown artist selected a piece of multicolor jade containing cracks and color blotches to carve an exquisite piece now known as the Jadeite Cabbage. The artist used the cracks as veins in the leaves. The color blotches enhanced the insects, while the change in color produced a beautiful, yet realistic piece of art. Click here for a detailed view of this wonderful piece.

Many people saw a useless piece of jade, but the artist who created the Jadeite Cabbagesaw beyond the flaws to create a piece like no other. Amazingly, God does the same with us. He does not wait until we are able to present our perfect selves to Him. God sees beyond our flaws and chooses to use us as we are to do His kingdom work.

Jephthah’s Flaws

Jephthah was an illegitimate son and suffered the rejection of his siblings. Despite this, he became a charismatic leader who rose above his circumstances. (Judges 11-12) Jephthah showed confidence in God as he verbally battled the king of Ammon. The Lord’s spirit rested on Jephthah, indicating God had commissioned and empowered him to lead the people.

But Jephthah had flaws. He didn’t fully trust the Lord. In fact, Jephthah thought he could bargain with God. He believed God was like the ancient gods who needed prodding in order to act favorably towards humanity. Jephthah believed he could win God’s favor by offering to sacrifice whatever came out of the door of his house when he returned from battle. Jephthah failed to appreciate that God desires our hearts far more than He desires anything we can do for Him.

At the moment vows are made, in the heat of angst and difficulty, they can appear spiritually and logically sound. Yet they often turn out to be foolhardy, with consequences far from what was intended when it comes time to fulfill them. The rashness of Jephthah’s vow became apparent when he returned home. The first person to appear was his daughter—his only daughter.

Scholars have attempted to lessen the consequences of Jephthah’s vow by suggesting Jephthah had an animal sacrifice in mind when he made the vow. Alternatively, others suggest that a human sacrifice wasn’t made. Rather, Jephthah’s daughter spent the remainder of her life as a temple servant and was denied the opportunity to have children. These scenarios are attempts to downplay a repulsive ancient practice that was never intended to be part of God’s plans for His people in the first place.

God Uses Flawed People

Jephthah is not the only person with flaws God used to do His work. Aaron continued in his role as priest even after he sinned by making the golden calf (Ex. 28.1; 32.1-35; 35:19). Moses was called to lead his people even after murdering an Egyptian (Ex. 2.11-12; 3.1-10). Peter became the rock upon which Jesus built the church even after denying he knew Jesus, not once but three times (Mt. 26.69-75; Jn. 21.15-18).

Satan loves to whisper to us, “If your past were known, you wouldn’t have been asked to lead that Bible study.” “Your sins are so bad, God will never have a use for you.” “That one sin was the biggest mistake of your life and nothing will ever erase it. You are guilty!”

But just like the artist who made the Jadeite Cabbage, God takes the flaws Satan wants to throw in your face and makes something beautiful out of your life. Are you allowing your faults to hold you back from following God? Is God asking you to release your flaws to Him so that He, the Master Creator, can make your life extraordinary?

]]>https://www.trinabressermatous.com/flaws/feed/01896One Man’s Death Ensured Life For Billionshttps://www.trinabressermatous.com/one-mans/ https://www.trinabressermatous.com/one-mans/#respondFri, 19 Apr 2019 12:00:53 +0000https://www.trinabressermatous.com/?p=1881The guilty verdict to a crime Jesus did not commit and the resulting punishment that took this one man’s life is the focus of Good Friday. As believers we understand that Jesus’ death was a part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Death was not an unwilling outcome of Jesus’ life, but a planned sacrifice […]

]]>The guilty verdict to a crime Jesus did not commit and the resulting punishment that took this one man’s life is the focus of Good Friday. As believers we understand that Jesus’ death was a part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Death was not an unwilling outcome of Jesus’ life, but a planned sacrifice that would restore humanity’s relationship with God; a relationship that had been broken when sin entered the world.

One Man’s Misguided Rational

Twice John records Caiaphas’s rational that it would be better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish. (Jn. 11.50, 18.14) Caiaphas believed Jesus was a troublemaker and His death would protect the nation. In fact, Jesus’ death accomplished what the animal sacrifice required by Jewish law, but was unable to do.

What Caiaphas did not understand was that the death of one man would make salvation available to not only his nation, but also to billions of people to follow. In spectacular fashion, the death of one man did not simply protect one nation. It allowed the people of all nations to have the opportunity to experience eternal life.

God’s Rational

Out of love God created humans. He warned of the consequences of sin. Although humans chose sin over God and suffered those consequences, God was not satisfied to let the story end there. Had He been satisfied with judgment, there would be no Christian church today, no relationship with Jesus. There would be no hope that does not disappoint. God allowed love and mercy to prevail over judgment. He Himself, through His Son, became the sacrifice that humanity had no ability to ever make themselves.

In the end, Caiaphas was right, though for the wrong reasons. For all of humanity, it was better for one man, one perfect man, to die so that all people would have an opportunity to live.

]]>https://www.trinabressermatous.com/one-mans/feed/01881Blissful Truth About The Lover Of Our Soulshttps://www.trinabressermatous.com/lover-of-our-souls/ https://www.trinabressermatous.com/lover-of-our-souls/#respondFri, 05 Apr 2019 12:00:42 +0000https://www.trinabressermatous.com/?p=1875Without warning, a bomb exploded on KAL flight #858 killing all 115 souls on board. It didn’t take long for authorities to trace and arrest the agents who had placed the bomb. Both attempted suicide by biting down on cyanide pills. One agent succeeded, while the other was unable to ingest enough poison to cause […]

]]>Without warning, a bomb exploded on KAL flight #858 killing all 115 souls on board. It didn’t take long for authorities to trace and arrest the agents who had placed the bomb. Both attempted suicide by biting down on cyanide pills. One agent succeeded, while the other was unable to ingest enough poison to cause her death. Slowly the story began to come to light. The bombing was the work of North Korea in a misguided attempt to reunify the two Koreas.

Kim Hyon-hui, the surviving agent, was found guilty of the crime and sentanced to execution. She was later pardoned by South Korea’s president because she was as much a victim of North Korea as the passengers.Tears of My Soulis Hyon-hui’s account of her selection for the North Korean Army’s secret and elite espionage school, her mission and ultimate freedom gained in South Korea.

Enemy Of Our Souls

Many people in the west have difficulty understanding how indoctrination could have been so thorough in Hyon-hui’s life that killing 115 people would be acceptable on any terms. Yet such indoctrination occurred and continues to occur in the closed and secretive nation of North Korea. Because Hyon-hui had no access to opposing views or the freedom to discover truth for herself, she believed what she was told and carried out her mission.

While we in the west have much greater access to varying views and opinions and can search for the truth, we are not immune to falling prey to lies and falsehood. There is an enemy of our souls who would like to use us for evil purposes just as much as North Korea used Hyon-hui to achieve its evil intentions. Jesus warned that there is a “thief [who] comes only tostealand killand destroy.” (Jn. 10.10)

Without careful vigilance, it is far too easy to fall prey to the enemy of our souls. The influence of the world and its ways are strong and enticing. The world makes grand promises that regularly fail to deliver and often leave lives in ruin.

Test everything; hold fast what is good.1 Thessalonians 5.21

Lover Of Our Souls

Unlike the enemy of our souls, the lover of our souls, God the Father, doesn’t attempt to beguile us with lofty promises. God’s love for us knows no bounds. While we were still His enemies and condemned to eternal separation from Him, God made the ultimate sacrifice. He sent His Son to take our punishment and then overcome that punishment so that we might enjoy life with him.

We often stand at a crossroads. Before us is a choice to follow the ways of the world or the ways of God. Satan uses every trick he knows to entice us to follow him. His plans are as ill advised and misguided as North Korea’s were. Satan doesn’t care about the lives that are ruined in the process.

God, on the other hand, cares greatly about each of our lives. He gently invites us to see truth instead of lies. He offers redemption instead of judgment. Above all, He loves each of us unconditionally, even when our actions might warrant other responses.

Perhaps this is why I enjoyed reading Tears of My Soul. In microcosm it is the story of evil and good, of hate and love, darkness and light, and especially of deception and redemption.

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one wasfulfilled.Joshua 21:45

]]>https://www.trinabressermatous.com/lover-of-our-souls/feed/01875One Thing Is Necessary: The Importance Of Listeninghttps://www.trinabressermatous.com/listening/ https://www.trinabressermatous.com/listening/#respondFri, 22 Mar 2019 12:00:40 +0000https://www.trinabressermatous.com/?p=1860When Jesus rebuked Martha, it sounds like listening to Jesus is the only thing we should spend time doing. Is this a correct understanding of the passage? Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion. ~Luke 10.41-42 Preparing […]

]]>When Jesus rebuked Martha, it sounds like listening to Jesus is the only thing we should spend time doing. Is this a correct understanding of the passage?

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion. ~Luke 10.41-42

Preparing for guests coming to dinner last year, I went a little overboard on the dessert. Instead of making one pan of mini pies, which would have easily served us all, I thought a variety would be nice. And I went a bit overboard. Six pies each of four varieties was close to five times more than we needed. Freezer space made storing the excess for a later date easy. Neither the time nor the extra pies were wasted.

There is a but to this story and it comes in relation to Jesus’ response to Martha’s question. I spent so much time preparing more food than was needed for my guests that I left no time that day for reading the Bible or listening to Jesus.

Hospitality was an important part of the culture Jesus lived in. Hospitality can only be done well if time is spent preparing for the guests who will come. Yet it can be far too easy to get caught up on the doing part of life. When that happens, we often neglect Jesus’ call to be with Him, to spend time listening to His teaching and wisdom.

Balance of Listening and Doing

Jesus calls us to serve the poor, feed the hungry, and cloth the naked. The need can be so great that we can easily spend all our time doing what Jesus calls us to and not spend any time with Jesus Himself.

But spending all our time serving was not the example Jesus set for us. Throughout the gospels we read about Jesus’ ministry. He healed sick, taught the truth, and prepared the next generation of believers to take on the good news to the ends of the earth. Yet He also removed Himself from the clamor of people and ministry to be alone with His Father.

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. ~Luke 5:16

Jesus is not calling us to abandon all other things to solely spend time at His feet, listening to what He has to say. He does remind us that serving Him to the exclusion of spending time with Him is not pleasing to Him. Jesus desires a proper balance of both.

Is spending time on a regular, even daily, basis a priority for you? What, if any, adjustments might you need to make to be more inline with how Jesus would have you spend your time?